Though not usually thought of as a self-help book, if you are patient and persist at its lessons the Bhagavad Gita could really be the only self-help book you’ll ever need. This compact little book of verse contains everything you need to know to end all your suffering forever!
What is it? The Bhagavad Gita is the scripture containing the central teachings of yoga; it itself is a small part of an epic Hindu historical poem, the Mahabarata. It is said that any situation that exists in real life can be found in the Mahabarata, and to this I’d add, “and then some,” because when does it happen in real life (or even soap operas) that one woman is married to five brothers simultaneously? However, here I digress, as our true concern is the Bhagavad Gita and its kernels of wisdom. The Gita takes place in the midst of a big war, during an instant on the battlefield in which Krishna (a human incarnation of God (kinda like Jesus, we can just think of him as God)) stops time to counsel the warrior Arjuna (who represents us). Arjuna is understandably an emotional mess because he is expected to fight against his dear cousins. He breaks down, telling Krishna he can’t fight.
Krishna explains that it is his duty to fight, but that it is not as tragic as it seems; he cannot really kill anyone because we are all immortal souls. The rest of the book is a dialogue between Krishna and Arguna in which Krishna patiently explains to Arguna (and us) all about our immortal God-like nature and the paths to attain its direct knowledge.
The Bhagavad Gita has been translated from Sanskrit to English many times. Most editions contain long commentaries, as the literal translation is often unpoetic and confusing to us Westerners. However, Steven Mitchell’s 2000 translation is not one of those. It is soothing and beautiful to read even as a total beginner, and although you may not at first be getting all of its wisdom, it is no doubt sinking in a little at a time. It is poetic and also encouraging, as is apparent in this stanza near the beginning:
“On this path no effort is wasted,
no gain is ever reversed;
even a little of this practice
will shelter you from great sorrow.”
The Bhagavad Gita contains instruction in all the paths of yoga (control of the mind, devotion to God, knowledge of the Self, and selfless service to others), but its main lesson is that of karma yoga, to act without being attached to the fruits of your actions. In other words, though you may take an action with some purpose in mind (aiming for a particular outcome), you must relinquish the desire for that outcome, or fruit. Your focus must be only on the action itself, without anticipation or worry regarding its possible fruits.
This may be easier to understand if we think about it in the extreme case of an Olympic athlete. Competing in her sport likely takes complete focus on the action itself. If she were thinking instead about how great it will feel when she wins and gets a medal, she would not be fully focused on the action and the action would suffer. As it says in the Gita:
“You have a right to your actions,
but never to your actions’ fruits.
Act for the action’s sake.
And do not be attached to inaction.
Self-possessed, resolute, act
without any thought of results,
open to success or failure.
This equanimity is yoga.”
Of course, this is much easier in principle than in practice, but at least for me, consciously learning that this is the ideal to hold in mind was tremendously helpful. For example, I used to agonize about teaching. So much stress about whether I would give a good lecture, whether I would make mistakes or be able to explain something well or poorly. Then I’d feel good or bad, depending on my perceived performance. So much energy wasted on all those unproductive (and actually counterproductive) thoughts. So much thinking about me, rather than serving my students. Now I simply see my duty as doing my best preparing and teaching and that is all. Success or failure is irrelevant; the fruits are relinquished, offered to God. How much easier, freer, more joyful and, paradoxically, more successful you can be when you don’t fear so much failure or care so much about success. As we learn from the Bhagavad Gita, the fruits are not the point of this whole life thing at all.
I really find this is a great interesting subject. Never looked at this subject in this way. If you are going to create more articles relating to this subject, I will return in the near future!